Cop History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Cop name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived on the top of a high hill. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word coppe, for a high hill or promontory. 1 2 3

It was also used as a word for a lookout; a place where an observer could see the landscape for miles around, and therefore be able to warn of an approaching army. As a place-name, it is largely extinct, except for one location; there is a Spying Copp outside of the Liverpool Soccer Stadium is a good place to watch the games for free.

Early Origins of the Cop family

The surname Cop was first found in Hampshire where Eduinus coppa was registered at Winton in 1148. Years later, Robert Coppe was registered in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1192 and Geoffrey Coppe was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Surrey in 1212. In Warwickshire, Roger de la Coppe was listed there in the Assize Rolls of 1221 and John atte Coppe was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for 1332. 4

Other sources note that the name is generally a name found in southern England in Cornwall 5, Devon and Dorset. 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing for that family, that of Roger Coppe who was listed in Dorset. 6 In Somerset, Richard Coppe was listed there 1 Edward III (in the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 7

In Norfolk, we found two entries for the family: John de la Coppe in the Feet of Fines for 1331 and Richard de la Coppe, who was rector of Oxburgh (1 Edward III.) 6

"The Copps have now their home in the Great Torrington district [of Devon]. Coppe was a common name in Littleham, Exmouth, in the 17th century (Webb), and even now the name is not uncommon in the town." 8

Early History of the Cop family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cop research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1619 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Cop History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cop Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Cop were recorded, including Copp, Coppe, Copps, Coppes, Cop, Cops and others.

Early Notables of the Cop family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Abiezer Coppe (1619-1672), an English Ranters and a writer of prophetic religious pamphlets...
He was born at Warwick on 30 May 1619 and was the son of Walter Coppe9...

Cop migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Cop family emigrate to North America:

Cop Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johanes Cop, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1740 10

Cop Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Santiago Cop, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1860 10

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)